


Thankful

by ultsjeongbin



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Cuddling & Snuggling, Hot Chocolate, Jeongin is Thankful, Love Confessions, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pillow & Blanket Forts, Thanksgiving, This is hella late but oh well LMAO, Unrequited Love, Yang Jeongin | I.N is Whipped, movies - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-08-28 01:56:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16714333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ultsjeongbin/pseuds/ultsjeongbin
Summary: In his eyes, he's the boy in love with Lee Felix. In everyone else's eyes, he's Lee Felix's best friend.(a cute lil jeonglix au no one really asked for uwu)





	Thankful

**Author's Note:**

> Thanksgiving is WAY over but that wasn't gonna stop me from posting this hehe.

Yang Jeongin sat on the couch of his living room, awaiting the cute boy with the adorable freckles. It was Thanksgiving, and his parents were out of town. The original plan for the three of them was to go visit family, but the boy had refused, practically begging to stay at home. After showing off some cute pouts, his parents had agreed, and that was how he found himself where he was now. Except a small voice in the back of his head wondered if this truly was a great idea.

In his eyes, he was the boy in love with Lee Felix. In everyone else's eyes, he was Lee Felix's best friend. Regardless of what everyone thought, he was grateful to have the older male in his life. Jeongin had lived a lonely life, tagging along with his best friend, Seungmin, wherever he went. At first it was enjoyable, until Seungmin met Hyunjin and the two had hit it off in a way Jeongin had not expected. In a few months, the two began dating and the boy found himself in an uncomfortable situation as a third wheel. He enjoyed hanging out with them, and they mutually enjoyed his company, but it just wasn't the same when the two were so in love. Slowly, he began to drift away from them and found himself alone. He didn't go out much, but the loneliness was slowly consuming him.

And that was when he met Felix.

He was reading a book in the school's library, sitting in a common area in which students could use their voices and didn't have to be as silent. Enjoying the fantasy book that told the story of a pirate leading his ship to find buried treasure, he soon found a treasure of his own. And he found it in the tiny giggle of the person sitting across from him. Jeongin looked up from the book and found a ginger haired male trying not to laugh as he watched something on his laptop while chewing on a small granola bar. He remembers what type of granola bar the boy was eating, oatmeal chocolate chip, because he would later find out that those were his favorite. The first thing Jeongin noticed about the boy were his freckles, each spot ranging in size and shape. The majority are scattered across his nose, but he noticed more near his forehead and in other areas. He doesn't think he's ever seen him before, and maybe that's what pulled him in.

The other looked up and made eye contact with Jeongin. Jeongin could only blush as quickly stuck his face back into his book.

_ Please don't tell me he noticed. _

“Hey, I saw you staring at me… was I too loud?”

Jeongin jumped at the sound of the other's voice, it was deeper than he had expected. He wondered how old the male was since he didn't look that much older than himself, but his voice was telling him otherwise.

“Hey, I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to be so loud… this show's just really funny.”

_ Talk to him Jeongin, he's being nice to you. _

“Hello? Are you not going to say anything?”

Jeongin finally looked up, and he found himself quickly spiraling down a hole as he looked into his eyes. “I-I uh… I'm sorry for staring. It's okay… I just noticed you over there. I-I… I'm Yang Jeongin, I'm a first year.”

The ginger stared back at him with a surprised look, almost as if shocked that their conversation had extended themselves with an introduction. “Oh, hi. I'm Lee Felix and I'm a second year. Nice to meet you Jeongin.”

It was the way Felix had said his name that only seemed to pull him in even further. He's not sure if it was ‘love at first sight’, but he was determined to find out.

“It sounds like you're watching an interesting show hyung… do you mind if I watch with you?”

To his content, Felix had agreed and Jeongin had soon become less lonely.

Fast forward to Thanksgiving a year later, and what he's most thankful for is Felix. The two were now extremely close, and were clearly inseparable. Seungmin had compared them to Hyunjin and himself, and Jeongin was unfortunately bitter enough to point out that the main difference was that he wasn't dating Felix. And that hurt him on the inside, much more than he had expected. The only good thing was that the boy was good at hiding his feelings on the outside, and none of their friends had noticed the way in which his gaze would linger on the freckled male for what felt like hours. Either way, Jeongin would always wish that his feelings could be returned.

He sets up the television and the DVD player, pulling out some movies that he knew the older male would like. He microwaves pack after pack of popcorn, and he goes up to his room, then to his parents’ to drag down blankets and pillows. He drags them down to the living room and plops his body down onto his couch.

The things he does for Lee Felix.

Speaking of the boy, he hears a knock on the door and his phone beeps. The sound of an incoming text message alerting him that Felix had arrived. He checks his phone, and then walks over to the entrance to his home. He opens the door to a rosy cheeked and shivering Felix, and Jeongin can't help but feel himself go weak. He finds himself getting lost in the other's eyes all over again. He gets the courage to muster up a smile, and he realizes he's been staring for a while when the ginger speaks up.

“Hey Jeong, you gonna let me in, or what? I'm freezing here,” he says with a chuckle.

Once they're both inside, Felix helps Jeongin set up a blanket fort for the two of them. They manage to fill up three bowls with popcorn, and Felix surprises Jeongin with packets of hot chocolate mix. If there's one thing Jeongin loved the most, besides Felix, it was hot chocolate. Once again, he was thankful the older male had remembered his favorite drink. Everything was finally set up, and Felix had chosen a romantic comedy for them to watch.

While they were both single, Jeongin had noticed that Felix was the type who really enjoyed romance. And it was because of that reason, he wanted to be noticed even more. Felix always mentioned his tiny desire to go on dates, small ones at coffee shops or spending time at home cuddling and watching movies. He was obviously a hopeless romantic, gushing whenever he saw Seungmin hanging out with Hyunjin, or seeing Chan with Woojin. He only wished he could have that too. Jeongin was willing to give that to him, except Felix clearly didn't feel the same.

They're halfway through the movie, when the ginger speaks up.

“You know, Changbin hyung asked to hang out with me today. He wanted me to come over to his house.”

_ Oh… _

There was another obstacle Jeongin had found in his path; Changbin. Currently a senior, it was obvious the older was interested in Felix. If the two were ever alone when hanging out with their friend group, Changbin had always managed to find a way to come between them. It upset the younger, and what only made it worse was that everyone seemed to ship the two together. He wasn't sure how Felix felt about Changbin, but he knew he wouldn't be surprised if they began dating at some point. Jeongin didn't want them to, but at the end of the day who was he to not let it happen?

“Hey, Jeongin? Are you okay?” His attention is brought back to the movie and to Felix. He nods his head, but he knows that while no one else can read him, the ginger could. “What's wrong?”

“Nothing, I swear it's nothing. Why… Why didn't you hang out with Changbin hyung?”

“I couldn't just leave you along Jeongin. You're my best friend.”

_ When will I ever be more than that hyung? _

Felix is able to notice the younger is upset. He lays down in the pillow fort, and he pats the side next to him for Jeongin to join him. “What's wrong? You seemed perfectly fine until I brought up Changbin hyung. Did he… did he do something to you?”

_ I sure hope he hasn't. _

“Jeongin.”

The boy looks at Felix, and he finds himself out of breath. Once again, the movie in the background becomes just that, a background. The only thing he could currently focus on was the ginger haired freckled boy who was lying down next to him. Perhaps it was just the blankets surrounding them, but Jeongin felt an enormous wave of warmth envelop him and bring him closer to Felix. He's not quite sure what this means, but he knows it has to mean something if he's suddenly a lot more nervous than he normally would be.

_ Maybe it's time I told him…  _

He's staring straight into Felix's eyes, almost as if in a trance. The older male stares back at him with endearment, and Jeongin just wants it to be so much more. It feels like time is frozen the longer they stare at each other. The boy can feel the soft blush forming on his cheek as his body heat rises. He assumes he probably looks ridiculous, but how can he stop himself when he's looking at who he believes to be the most beautiful man in the world?

“Hey Jeongin… there's something I want to tell you.”

Jeongin looks at the older male with concern. “What's wrong hyung?”

“Nothing's wrong. I just... well, it's Thanksgiving. I want us to talk about what we're thankful for.”

_ Oh. _

The younger looks away from the other, lower lip caught underneath his braced teeth. It’s hard for the boy’s gaze to focus anywhere but on Felix. The two were huddled close together, bodies hidden underneath a pile of blankets. Jeongin makes a comparison between himself and secrets. Secrets are usually hidden from everyone and in this case, his feelings for the handsome male with the ginger hair were to be hidden from everyone, his own body being protected by the blanket fort he had built. He was his own secret, and he knows no one else was able to read him as much as Felix could.

So what happens when the only one who could see right through you was also found underneath the barrier you had created?

“I think you should go first Jeongin… tell me what you’re thankful for.” The ginger’s voice was barely above a whisper, but he knew he could still be heard.

At first he thinks he has no other choice, but then he remembers he has only two options. He could just come forward and tell the other about his feelings towards him, or he could simply state he was thankful for their friendship and continue to keep his feelings secretive. If he was able to keep quiet for nearly a year now, who says he couldn’t do it for even longer?

He’s not quite sure where to start, or exactly which choice would be best, but if there’s one thing he does know, it’s that he truly is thankful for the friendship he has with Lee Felix. Because of him, he’s not as lonely as he used to be. Because of him, he’s a lot happier than he used to be. Because of Lee Felix, he was able to experience love for the first time.

Even if the love was unrequited, Jeongin would forever be thankful.

So the boy clears his throat, and begins to express his thanks.

“Hyung, I’m thankful for a lot of things, as well as people. For example, I’m thankful for my parents, for having a roof over my head, for being able to eat all of my favorite foods… I’m thankful for hot chocolate, for overly buttered and burnt microwaveable popcorn, literally so many small things.” He hears the older laugh ever so softly and his heart begins to race a lot faster than before. “Then there’s big things; my friends. I’m thankful for Chan hyung, I’m thankful he found Woojin hyung; for Minho and Jisung hyungs, I’m thankful for Changbin hyung… and for Seungmin and Hyunjin hyungs. But most importantly, I’m thankful for my favorite hyung, you… I’m thankful I met you and…”

_ It’s time Jeongin. It’s time to confess to him. _

“I’m thankful I met you hyung, because you’re the reason I was able to discover what it means to fall in love.”

_ Yes Lix hyung… I love you. _

Silence fills up the room as the movie ends and the credits rolls on the screen. The boy continues to stare into the ginger’s eyes, but the other says nothing. He can feel his heart beating so quickly it feels as if it could shoot straight out of his chest. Felix’s expression remains emotionless, he remains quiet, but he stares back. They stay that way for two minutes, and Jeongin realizes that perhaps confessing was not the correct choice. He can’t help but allow tears to form in his eyes as he realizes his mistake, and he begins to sit up.

“I-I’m sorry hyung, I’ll just be right back… I’m sorry.” He attempts to stand up but Felix grabs a hold of his arm.

“Jeongin,” the ginger smiles a small smile. “You didn’t give me a chance to say what I’m thankful for. Don’t get up.” They were now sitting, their legs entangled in the mess of blankets and pillows.

_ I know you’re thankful for our friendship hyung. I just hope what I said doesn’t affect us in any way. _

Felix lets out a sigh before he finally speaks. “You know, I think we’re pretty much thankful for the same things. I am also thankful for my parents, my friends, truly I’m pretty thankful for everything that’s mine on this planet. I’m happy living the life I’m living… with Chan hyung, Woojin hyung, Minho hyung, Changbin hyung… Hyunjin, Jisung and Seungmin too. I love them and I’m grateful they came into my life. But there’s one thing, or rather, one person… one person that makes me feel the most thankful.”

_ It’s not me… is it? _

Jeongin looks down, and realizes the older male had wrapped their hands together. “I’m extremely thankful knowing I have a best friend. But what’s even more important is that I’m thankful to have a boy who loves me… and that boy loves me in the same way I love him.”

_ Wait… what? _

“L-Lix hyung…” The boy blinks away the wetness in his eyes, but a stray tear manages to fall. His breath hitches as Felix brings a hand to cup his cheek, and he leans into the older’s touch as he uses his thumb to wipe away Jeongin’s tear.

The ginger can do nothing else but smile. “I love you Jeongin. I’ve loved you for a while now… I just wasn’t sure if you felt the same.” He brings their foreheads together, and Jeongin closes his eyes while showcasing his braces through an toothed grin.

“I love you hyung.”

Yang Jeongin loved Thanksgiving; he never missed the opportunity to give thanks to his loved ones and show appreciation to the things he enjoyed. He thought this year would be no different yet here he was, learning that this Thanksgiving was probably his most memorable one to date. This Thanksgiving was the day he finally confessed to the boy he loved with all his strength, and he was fortunate enough to have those feelings returned to him.

In his eyes, he was the boy in love with Lee Felix. And starting from today, in everyone else’s eyes he would be the boy with which Lee Felix was in love with. He had always wished for there to be something more. And now, the one thing Jeongin had wanted most was finally granted to him. In order to erase any feeling of doubt, the freckled male does the unexpected, and brings their lips to meet for the first time. Eyes widened with surprise suddenly flutter closed and Jeongin once again tells himself he is thankful.

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> uwu hope you enjoyed~ follow me on twitter @ultsjeongbin for some cool ass twitter aus hehe. Or just be on the look out for some of my future works uwu.


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